'Nothing is impossible' at Onondaga County Special Olympics

Special OlympicsKayla McKeon was the keynote, welcoming the athletes and telling everybody that she will be representing the USA in the Special Olympics in Greece. Schools paraded around the stadium in their particular school colors with an estimated 600 student athletes from 8 area school districts (Baldwinsville, East Syracuse-Minoa, Fayetteville-Manlius, Jamesville-Dewitt, Liverpool, North Syracuse, Solvay and West Genesee), as well as OCM BOCES and Oswego County BOCES.

Cicero, NY -- Kelly Amodio watched her son Marcus Amodio run the 50-meter dash with ease Thursday at the Onondaga County Special Olympics Track & Field Event.

“I look forward to this day the whole year,” she said. “I love it.”

Marcus, 11, of Liverpool, said he loves it too. He came in second and sported his ribbon with pride. “It was easy,” he said.

Marcus was one of about 600 children from eight school districts to compete in the Special Olympics at Michael J. Bragman Athletic Complex at Cicero-North Syracuse High School in Cicero.

Students from North Syracuse, Baldwinsville, Liverpool, East Syracuse Minoa, Fayetteville-Manlius, Jamesville-DeWitt, Solvay and West Genesee school districts, and the BOCES programs competed in a variety of events including runs, shot put and jumps.

Ellen M. Blalock / The Post-StandardZachery Congel, (left) from Pine Grove Middle School, came in a close second behind Jamesville-DeWitt's Johathan Tipton Thursday during the 200-meter run in the Special Olympics.

“Today is for the kids with autism who can run fast to the kids who use a wheelchair and need to be pushed across the finish line, and everyone in between,” said Fina Santangelo, a physical education teacher in the North Syracuse school district. “Today is the kids’ day.”

Deborah Michalko, 12, from the North Syracuse school district and Owen Sewell, 11, from BOCES, both wore their ribbons proudly on their shirts. Sewell said his favorite event was running; Michalko said she had fun all day.

“It’s a fun day and exciting to watch her compete,” said Michalko’s father, Richard Michalko. “She gets to be around other kids and she gets to earn prizes, and she likes that.”

Volunteers help make the event possible, Santangelo said. She said she had so many Cicero-North Syracuse students request to help she had to turn some students away. Jenna Tartaro, a junior at C-NS, said she was fortunate to be able to help out.

“It’s fun for them because it’s their day,” said Tartaro, who was dressed as Disney’s Goofy. “They can do anything that they want to do.”

Kayla McKeon also volunteered with the day’s events and wants to encourage the students to reach for their goals. McKeon, 23, will compete at the 2011 Summer Olympic Games in Athens, Greece this summer.

“I think that these kids need to know that when they try their best, they’ll go very far,” said McKeon, who graduated from C-NS.

Maria Alberico, the regional director for Special Olympics New York, Inc. Central Region, said this was her first year at the event and that the athletes inspired her.

“They take my breath away,” she said. “Today is not about winning. It’s about the idea of what’s possible and not what’s impossible.”